A Liverpool woman whose grandad was in prison with Nelson Mandela paid tribute to the former president.

Shirley Mpetha from Toxteth’s grandfather Oscar Mpetha, a political activist and president of the Cape branch of the African National Congress (ANC), spent time in Pollsmoor Prison with Mandela in the 1980s.

Shirley, 52, moved to Liverpool in 1988.

She said: “My grandfather used to teach us about Mandela, what a great man he was and how he suffered for the country just to bring justice and peace.”

When Shirley’s grandad died in 1994 Mandela was among the mourners at the funeral.

Shirley said: “When my grandfather died he was one of the people who came and mourned for him.

“It was a marvellous thing for the president to show that but that’s the kind of person he was.

“We really appreciated that as a family.”

She added: “Mandela sacrificed a lot for the people of South Africa.”

Shirley told the ECHO she had been watching the memorials for Mandela on the television but some of her relatives in South Africa were planning to head to Johannesburg later in the week to pay their own tributes on behalf of the family.

She said: “I would like to hold some sort of memorial in Liverpool on Friday but I haven’t arranged anything yet.”

She added: “I just want to say viva, long live Mandela. May God bless his family.”